CHAPTER 32: DOCTORS AT WAR

CHAPTER 32: DOCTORS AT WAR
Maya’s POV

I hadn’t seen Sebastian or Zane since the coronation. That was a week ago.

Rogue wars had erupted across the Northern territories—the North. My North. My home.

And Sebastian, ever the king who led from the front, had gone to personally command the army, determined to crush the uprising himself.

I sighed, rolling up my sleeves as I bathed the cubs. The three of them were a hurricane of joy, splashing in the oversized marble tub like it was their personal lake, every floating toy they owned bobbing around them. Their laughter echoed off the walls, loud and free.

When they finally tired themselves out—after soaking me more and treating me like their favorite splash toy—I wrapped each of them in the soft, embroidered royal clothes Sebastian had personally chosen and got them tailor-made for them.

He insisted they wear only the finest—silks and furs, tiny crests of the royal house stitched into the collars. The man thought that the babies who couldn’t even speak deserved every good thing in the world. He was going to spoil them rotten at this rate. He clearly didn’t understand control nor did he have any concept of moderation.

But stars above… he adored them.

And that had to count for something.

I gathered the naughty pups before they found their way to Beta Zane’s wardrobe again. Pretty sure they brought Narnia to the Beta’s wardrobe. I mean Narnia’s battle. I hope I earned enough in a year as a palatial doctor to replace the Beta’s wardrobe.

“Hey-hey,” they giggled as I tucked them in their triple seat-stroller.

I bent on a knee and covered their faces with kisses and… lipstick.

“Khii-khii,” they giggled, loving the smooches while I rubbed off the lipstick marks from their cheeks.

“Alrighty. The cubs are ready and… what?” Nurse Valerie, er Valerie said. “Oh!” She understood when I signed to her.

She bent to the triplets’ eye-level beside me and told them, “Now your mom says she loves you lots but no eating… what again?” she asked in shock.

“Uncle Zane’s clothes,” came the reply but from a very pissed off beta lycan.

I cringed before getting up and showing all my 32 teeth.  

“Luna, with all due respect, you should have sent these teething machines with Sebastian. They would have ripped off the rogue wolves’ tails with their teeth,” Zane said. “Would have attacked evil with evil,” he glared at the babies.

I heard a low and aggressive, “Grr” but when I turned back the babies were still giggling, “Hey-hey,” and made grabby hands towards me.

Aww.

I turned back to Zane but he was frowning furiously at them as if they hurt him.

“They are cute kids. Just a bit naughty. Don’t worry. They will grow to… er… like you,” Valerie tried to comfort the beta lycan.

“Yes, when I am dead and they peer over my coffin,” Zane rolled his eyes. The next moment they widened. “Don’t you dare clap!”

Valerie and I turned around but the triplets were trying to get out of their belts and crouching out of their strollers. They looked up at me and smiled, small fangs peeking out.

“You little demons,” Zane muttered under his breath. “Like father, like sons. Monster family.”

Another growl resounded behind me but when I turned the babies were giggling and playing with their toys, eyes cast down.

“Zane, stop troubling the cuties,” Valerie told off the Beta. She really did not fear anything. Not even when telling off the royals. I tried to suppress my smile but Zane noticed and sighed. The poor man already had dark circles under his eyes. Guess one week of sleep would do that to anyone.

“Where is the King?” Valerie asked after I signed to her. For some reason, I couldn’t mindlink anyone, despite becoming the lycan pack’s queen and getting back my wolf.

“The King is still fighting the rogues. He sent me here to protect you all. The rogues might have created a diversion in the North to launch an actual, unified attack on the palace. There are certain matters that perplex us regarding the rogue’s war tactics but nothing that the devil – I mean – Sebastian can’t handle,” Zane replied.

“Da-da,” the triplets chimed on hearing Sebastian’s name, as if missing their daddy. They were echoing my feelings as well. I missed him too, especially after finding out that Selene was indeed pregnant.

She came for a checkup to the palatial infirmary a day after Sebastian left and insisted that I take her ultrasound. To my surprise, she was actually carrying lycan twins.

Ever since that day, the patients at the palace avoided me. The infirmary’s staff was hostile. I was not even allowed to touch the medical tools. Every day, I just collected the waste from all rooms and disposed them off. That was the only task they felt comfortable giving me.

“Your da-da will be back soon. Don’t worry,” Zane assured the babies, crouching in front of them. “But he should worry when he comes back and when I take my sweet, sweet reven – OWW!” he shrieked, holding his groin as if kicked in the nuts.

“What happened?” Valerie spun around and asked, concerned.

“No-nothing. I should take my leave.”

“Hey-hey,” the triplets giggled, waving at the beta, happily.

“This is not over,” Zane hissed before limping away, holding his sensitive parts.

What happened to him suddenly?

“Alright, what is today’s agenda?” Carl asked, joining us and pecking his mate’s cheek. “Hey, beautiful. Good morning,” he wished Valerie before nodding at me. I nodded back. I was glad that we three were comfortable with each other now. Valerie needed a stable relationship with Carl without anyone disturbing their beautiful paradise and I needed a trustworthy friend in the palace. “So what are we doing?” he asked again, hugging his mate close to himself. Guess the good old doctor couldn’t help but fall for the Moon Goddess’ chosen gift to him.

“Ask Queen Maya,” Valerie chuckled and I rolled my eyes at the use of the title. I had given up my Alpha title, only to end up with the title of the Queen? Ugh.

I wrote on a paper. “Set up a new clinic downtown.”

“Are you allowed to do that as the Queen?” Carl asked, cautiously.

“Can’t waste our skills. We will earn and not be dependent on the infirmary or royal treasury!” I wrote.

“Is it safe?” Carl questioned.

“Let’s tour the city and then decide,” Valerie suggested. “Maya is right. We can’t let those pricks in the royal infirmary lord over us and belittle our techniques,” she added, fury and passion dripping in her words.

I nodded, my conviction matching Valerie’s energy.

“I can’t talk you ladies out of this, can I?” Carl sighed.

We shook our heads together. “No.” And giggled while Carl also chuckled.

“Alright, then let’s get a flavor of the city! At the very least we can enjoy a day out of these palace walls.” Carl said and we took off in his car, hoping to enjoy a sunny day together.

However, when we reached out of the fort’s perimeter and into the main city, our hearts plummeted.

Selene had set up a medical camp for the poor and the unprivileged with the help of the imperial doctors.

“What is she doing here?” Valerie hissed.

“She is gaining goodwill of the public, it seems,” Carl replied.

“How do you know?” Valerie asked.

“Look at the banners,” he pointed high above us and Valerie recoiled in disgust.

“She is asking the people to bless hers and the King’s baby, and get free medicine!” Valerie indignantly said after reading the banners.

My eyes and heart stung. Looking at the banners, it crashed upon for the first time how real the pain was to watch Sebastian’s child and heir grow in another woman’s womb, especially when she was as radiant and as talented as the Moon Goddess.

Her pregnancy made her face glow brighter. She shone and beamed with happiness. Like a Moon.

However, I pulled myself together and firmly decided to secure my future and my kids’ future out of the confines of the palace walls. I was not going to allow a repeat of what happened with Leo and Quinn.

“Let’s leave them alone and find a place to set up our clinic,” I signed to Valerie and Carl.

“Maya,” Valerie sighed. “You don’t need to act strong and indifferent to all this in front of us. It’s ok if it hurts,” she whispered the last part.

I shook my head.

“Let’s go.” I signed and turned towards the car. Valerie sighed and beckoned Carl to follow. However, we came to a halt when omegas surrounded our car, waiting for us on their knees with eyes filled with tears and cheeks burning with rivers of agony.

I recognized them as the palatial servants and maids.

“What happened?” Valerie asked, echoing the worry etched in our hearts.

The omega women trembled as they bowed their heads, too afraid to speak at first. Their hands were bruised, some bandaged clumsily, and their uniforms torn and stained. Something terrible had happened.

Valerie crouched immediately beside the nearest one, placing a steady hand on her shoulder. “What happened? Who did this to you?”

One of the older omegas, the laundry supervisor, lifted her tear-streaked face. “Please… forgive us, Queen Maya. We—we couldn’t protect your room. Or your things.”

My fingers stilled mid-sign.

Protect?

My things?

I stepped forward and crouched beside Valerie. “Tell me everything,” I signed, gently thumbing away the tears. “Carl, get me the medical kit please,” I gestured towards the car and Carl immediately understood, hurrying to get our supplies.

“Yo-you shouldn’t touch us, my Queen! We are lowly servants!!” they said, aghast that I had even dared to touch them. “We are dirty!”

In response, I only took their hands gently in my palms and started unravelling the improper and temporary bandages from their hands.

“My Queen! No. Please. Don’t touch us.”

I firmly but gently kept my grip over their fingers, not letting them snatch back their hands from me. Valerie and Carl wasted no time in rounding up everyone and giving them first aid as well. The omegas’ eyes welled up again.

“You are too kind, child,” another elderly omega chamberlain maid said. “May the Goddess bless you all and your triplets. Now we see, the King chose well. May evil never touch you. You don’t deserve the ill treatment at the palace.”

“Ill treatment?” I gestured and Valerie translated, “What do you mean by ill treatment?”

Another younger maid burst out in a rush of sobs. “Princess Selene came down from the East Wing with the palace guards. She—she said your quarters needed cleansing. She brought fire incense and... and a priestesses. They threw your things out. Burned what they could. She claimed it was purification.”

My breath stopped.

Purification?

“She said the Queen’s chambers must reflect the new mother of the kingdom,” another maid added bitterly, head still bowed. “They said your belongings held dark energy and refused to stop even when we begged.”

Carl’s fists clenched on the car door. Valerie gasped beside me.

“And no one stopped them?” Valerie demanded.

“The imperial guards stood by. Some even helped,” another maid whispered. “We were ordered to stay quiet. But we couldn’t let you find out without knowing the truth.”

“She has overstepped,” Carl said darkly. “This is treason. Desecrating the Queen’s sanctum?”

But all I could think about were the little things. The drawings from the triplets. The journal I’d hidden beneath the mattress. The wolf-carved figurine Sebastian once gave me, now likely turned to ash. My world. My memories.

Burned.

Just like that.

“Maya,” Valerie whispered. “What do you want to do?”

My hands shook slightly as I signed, “Nothing.”

“Nothing! What do you mean by nothing!!” Valerie and the omega servants asked, chaos reigning suddenly.

I turned to the kneeling omegas, reaching out to help them up, one by one. I signed to them, slowly and clearly, letting my gaze meet each of theirs:

“If they strip us of rooms, we build our own halls. If they silence us in the palace, we speak louder in the city. If they call us unworthy, we show them who heals this kingdom.”

Valerie translated every word aloud, her voice fierce and proud.

The omegas straightened, touched and stunned. Their tears didn’t vanish—but now, they burned with resolve.

“What do you want us to do, our Queen?” they asked fiercely.

A smile spread over my face in response. Carl and Valerie were quick to catch upon what I intended to do.

Carl opened the car door for me, smiling back. “Where to, my Queen?”

I looked ahead.

“Anywhere we’re needed. Anywhere that’s ours.”

And together, we drove—toward the city, toward freedom, toward war.

Not with bloodshed.

But with medicine. With dignity.

And with a crown no one could burn.